Hitters Finally Do The Job Right

NOTEBOOK

The Marlins have been pining for an inning like they got Thursday night in the third against Atlanta, when they scored five runs and hit for the cycle.

They got singles by Edgar Renteria and Bobby Bonilla, a double by Cliff Floyd, a triple by Moises Alou, and a home run by rookie pitcher Tony Saunders.

It was just the type of production manager Jim Leyland has been waiting for since ... well, since the end of spring training.

And to make it sweeter, all five hits were to right field. Before the game, Leyland said the coaching staff this week has been emphasizing the need to use the entire field - and specifically right field - at Pro Player Stadium.

Because of the larger dimensions (385 feet in right-center), he said his right-handed hitters had developed a bad habit of trying to pull everything off or over the inviting (330 feet) scoreboard in left field, instead of using the whole field and taking what pitchers were giving them.

"I definitely think so," said Leyland, who also believes the same bad habits have carried over onto the road, where the Marlins have a 4-11 record. "You get your mind in a one-groove swing. Hitting's a very sensitive issue. There's a lot to it. In spring training, guys were hitting the ball great, line to line, everybody ... and it was a thing of beauty."

Leyland is the first to point out that pitching improves once the regular season begins, but he doesn't believe that can explain the sharp decline of his offense, which was baseball's best while posting a 26-5 spring record.

"Guys have been pressing too much," Leyland said.

Before Thursday, several Marlins were mired in extended hitting slumps, including Jeff Conine, who was 3 for 36 (.083) with four RBI in his past 13 games; Gary Sheffield, who was 10 for 65 (.154) in his past 18 games; and Charles Johnson, who was 5 for 42 (.119) in his past 14 games.

As a team, the Marlins were batting .221 in the past 23 games and had a 9-14 record during that stretch. Their overall batting average had slipped to .241 before Thursday and their scoring average to 3.75 runs per game, which is exactly a half-run less than they scored per game in 1996.

Floyd hurts hamstring

The only negative aspect of the Marlins' five-run third inning was the sight of Floyd clutching his left hamstring as he legged out a double. Floyd pulled up midway between first and second base and grimaced as he limped the last few strides before sliding head-first to put runners at second and third.

Floyd stayed in the game but struggled as he scored from second on Alou's triple. He was replaced after the inning. Floyd's injury will be evaluated today.

Slow out of gate

If you're looking for relief from the dark cloud that appears to be hanging over Bonilla's head, here it is. Though Bonilla had no home runs and only 10 RBI before Thursday night, he has been a slow starter throughout his career, averaging only 2.6 home runs in April and 4.5 home runs in May.

Last season with Baltimore, Bonilla had only three home runs at the end of May. He finished the season with 28 home runs (for the second consecutive year) and 116 RBI.

Nevertheless, his ongoing homerless streak is believed to be the longest of Bonilla's career. He has not hit a home run in 160 consecutive at-bats dating to last season.